'All Eyes On Rafah' picks up steam on social media. Here's all you need to know about its origin

Social media has been floodedwith the phrase "All eyes on Rafah" as people from across the world are coming out in support of Palestinians who are facing a dire situation in Rafah city of war-torn Gaza.

At least 45 people, who had taken shelter in tents in Rafah, were killed in Israeli shelling and airstrikes as part of the latest assault.

The Gaza medics said that in the strikes hundreds of civilians also suffered shrapnel and burn wounds. The attack was condemned by world leaders.

Also Read:Palestine's militant outfit releases hostage video of Amazon worker in Gaza

Meanwhile, Israel called the loss of life "a tragic accident" and its army stated that munitions alone may not have led to the deadly blaze, further stating that two senior Hamas militants were targetted and killed in the strike.

This recent assault triggered global outrage against Israel as many people took to social media to protest against the deadly attack.

What is the 'All Eyes On Rafah'slogan?

The slogan 'All Eyes On Rafah'seems to have come into existence from a comment made by World Health Organization’s Office of the Occupied Palestinian Territories director Rick Peeperkorn.

In February, Peeperkorn said"All eyes are on Rafah" days after an evacuation plan was ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahubefore implementing the planned attacks to eliminate militant group Hamas' strongholds.

The phrase refers to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and has now become a global trend which is being shared to extend support to the Palestinians who are suffering.

The phrase is a call by people to avoid looking away from what kind of situation is unfolding in the city of Rafah. Nearly 1.4 million Gazans have taken shelter in Rafah after fleeing from violent fighting expanding in other areas of Gaza.

Israel has continued its Rafah assault even though the top UN court had asked it to halt its operation in the wake of the large civilian population living in the area.

Organisations and celebrities raise 'All Eyes On Rafah'slogan

Organisations as well as lobbying groups - Jewish Voice for Peace, Save the Children, Americans forJustice in PalestineAction, thePalestine Solidarity Campaign and Oxfam - raised the slogan.

The slogan has also been used by protesters as a rallying cry in Paris,London, theNetherlands,New York City,Los Angelesand beyond.

Watch:Israel-Hamas War: Israeli tanks advance to central Rafah for first time: Report

Various Bollywood celebrities like Varun Dhawan,Aly Goni,Samantha Ruth Prabhu,Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor andTriptii Dimri also shared “All Eyes on Rafah” graphics as part of their Instagram stories Tuesday.

Meanwhile, other celebrities like Australian cricket playerTravis Head,British singerLeigh-Anne Pinnock, modelBella Hadidand actressesSaoirse-Monica JacksonandSusan Sarandon also raised the slogan on social media platforms.

Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma's wife Ritika Sajdeh had also shared the "All Eyes On Rafah" image in her Instagram Stories, which backfired. Sajdeh was forced to delete the post after many users called her out for being "selective" while raising her voice against oppression and atrocities.

As of now, more than 195,000 posts with the hashtag #AllEyesOnRafah have received millions of views on TikTok and the topic trended on Instagram on Tuesday (May 28), as almost 100,000 posts were made on it.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)